Lack of control
by Luna-Rose Lestrade
Summary: Whilst out following a lead about Morgana, Merlin mysteriously disappears from the camp. When he does not return, Arthur begins to worry and the appearance of Morgana does not help. But is all what it seems?
1. Chapter 1- Warning

**This is my first multi-chapter fanfic. I've had this idea for a while and have the whole story written out now so there won't be any unfairly long waits for chapters to be uploaded. They should be uploaded once a week if I plan correctly. Hope you enjoy!**

**I do not own Merlin or it's characters...**

Chapter 1 – Warning

Maps and papers scattered the surface of the table, rippling slightly in the breeze that wafted in through the tent entrance. Apart from the slight whistle of the wind through the tent, the evening was quiet. The murmur of voices drifted through the air, no discernable word could be picked out but the occasional bark of muffled laughter.

"Sire." A cold chill swept the air inside the tent as a knight entered.

Arthur straightened up and reluctantly stopped poring over his maps. There was something important about them but he couldn't figure out what.

"Sir Leon," he acknowledged.

The knight nodded and then reported, "The scouts have returned sire. They report that there is no sign of any forces near or approaching our position. In fact, Sire, they say there is no sign of anyone at all."

Arthur frowned. They had followed intelligence from what he believed was a reliable source. There has to be something.

"And Morgana?" He asked.

"Nothing," Sir Leon shook his head.

This wasn't right. They'd heard many rumours of Morgana gathering followers and knights around here. They'd come all this way to make sure that Morgana never reached Camelot but it seemed that she wasn't even here.

"Very well Leon," he said.

Sir Leon gave a small bow then left.

Arthur glanced at the maps again but they seemed meaningless now. It was about now that someone would say something comforting or encouraging but he looked around to see the tent was empty of all but him. That didn't seem right. He went to the tent entrance and pulled it aside. The cool evening air stung his face from so long being sheltered. He scanned the camp. The laughter was coming near the far end of camp. Unsurprisingly Gwaine was the cause as he teased Percival, throwing his boot in wide arcs over his head whilst he jumped to retrieve it. Elyon was assisting him, catching each throw and tossing it back to Gwaine. Arthur scanned the group but could not find who he had hoped. Instead he picked out Gauis who stood near the fire, his eyes darting nervously into the forest every so often.

"Sire," Gauis acknowledged when he noticed Arthur coming towards him. He turned his back on the forest and tried to look more calm.

"Have you seen Merlin?" Arthur asked when he was close enough.

"No Sire, I'm afraid he hasn't returned yet," Gauis told him but the worry was evident in his voice.

"Still?" Arthur asked exasperated, "but he's been gone for hours. It can't take him so long to gather a few herbs."

It had indeed been too long since Merlin had informed him that he had to collect some herbs for Gauis whilst they were here which were useful in his remedies. He had promised he wouldn't go far and would not get lost, adding that his royal highness's odour was potent enough all the way from Camelot. He had been gone too long though and though he would never admit it, Arthur was beginning to miss his servants easy jokes and chatter that calmed the group and trusting speeches he gave when he knew Arthur was worried but Arthur was worried now. He could do with his advice and reassurance just about now.

"You don't suppose the idiot's got himself lost a few metres from camp?" Arthur tried to brighten the mood but Gauis' face was full of concern and did not humour the King with a smile. Arthur regretted it as soon as the comment left his mouth. Gauis cared too much for the boy to join in with the jokes.

"I'm sorry Gauis," Arthur apologised, "Maybe we could send some men to search for him."

"No Sire, I think he will be alright," Gauis replied, his face still grave.

Arthur was about to say some more when there was a shout from a knight behind him. The laughter and chatter that had livened the air had disappeared and left the camp dead silent. Arthur looked to find the source of the disruption and didn't have to look far. Instinctively he pulled Gaius away from the tree line and further into camp. Standing just outside the shadow of the trees, looking like a shadow herself, was Morgana. With a shout two knights charged at her, swords raised. She glared at them and her eyes flashed a dangerous gold. The two knights were flung backwards through the air as though attached to an invisible cord and landed roughly on the ground a few metres away. Gaius was immediately by their side checking them over. Arthur was about to shout at Morgana until Gaius gave him a small nod that they were fine and Arthur calmed his anger but two other knights did not seem to be able to contain their rage as they ran forwards screaming. With another glare of gold, two more knights were down. Arthur motioned for the rest of the knights to stay back.

Morgana surveyed the four downed knights before her and laughed a small dangerous laugh. Then she faced Arthur and began to chant.

"Continue with your childish games,  
While your little world goes up in flames.  
For while your playing count the cost,  
Your dearest friend has been lost."

It took Arthur a moment to register what had been said then his mind focused on "dearest friend" "lost." He scanned the knights around him, picking out faces, trying to figure out who was missing. His eyes roamed the crowd until they came to Gaius who was staring at him frozen, in the middle of helping one of the knights on the ground. Their eyes locked and Arthur knew they had both come to the same conclusion.

"Merlin," Gaius voiced their thought, no louder than a whisper. Arthur's heart clenched.

Saying it out loud somehow made it more real and confirmed their worries. The knights shuffled looking around them as though expecting the young manservant to appear among them and prove it wrong. But he didn't.

Arthur turned back to Morgana who gave another dry laugh before continuing.

"Don't worry brother he is fine  
But dear Merlin is now mine"

The last word hung menacingly in the air long after Morgana had faded away into the night. Arthur finally snapped out of it and stormed over to Gaius, still frozen on his knees.

"We'll get him back Gaius," Arthur told him forcefully, "I promise!"

Gaius only managed a weak nod. Then he seemed to remember his job and began to continue to help the knights who were now stirring.

"Sire, what are your orders? What do we do?" Sir Leon asked immediately by his side. Arthur was silent. What should they do? They should go after Merlin and save him. That's what they should do. Arthur knew that with all his heart. But there was something telling him to wait. To think this through.

"Arthur we've got to go after her," Gwaine's voice was right by his ear, "We have to find Merlin."

Arthur was desperate to agree with Gwaine. He wanted to find his friend and make sure he was okay but this time he had to leave his friend. It went against everything he cared for.  
Reluctantly he turned to Leon.

"Pack up the tents and make sure we're ready to go without a moments notice. "

"Are we leaving?"

"Some of us are. I'll send some knights back to Camelot with the injured. There's obviously no army here so I'd feel better if Camelot was protected. The rest will stay but if there's any surprises - which I don't doubt with Morgana involved - we'll need to be ready to leave. Keep the fires burning. It's going to be a long night."

Leon rushed off to bring about Arthur's orders but Gwaine stayed.

"What about Merlin?" He asked sternly. Arthur paused. He didn't want to have to do this.

"We can't do anything right now,' Arthur admitted ruefully, "We wouldn't get far searching in the dark and I don't want any ambushes or more injured knights. We'll wait until first light then we'll find Merlin."

"Arthur," Gwaine wasn't convinced, his voice still laced with anger, "Night's a long time to wait. We don't know what Morgana is planning to do with him. He could be hurt. Can he last that long?"

"Merlin is stronger than you give him credit for."

Arthur jumped. He had forgotten Gaius was still next to them.

"Yes. Of course. I'm sorry Gaius." Arthur said softly.

Gwaine turned away and began to help Gaius, throwing a harsh look at Arthur as he did so. Arthur was about to remind him he should be helping the others pack up camp but he let it go. Gwaine was only worried. As they all were. But Arthur knew Gwaine's friendship with Merlin was a lot deeper. Long before he had become a knight, Merlin had been good friends with him. Arthur was sure that the only reason he had helped him and gone along on one of their dangerous tasks was because Merlin had asked him to. Merlin had been his only friend before he had been knighted and there wasn't anyone closer, even now he had the other knights as friends too.

Arthur envied their friendship sometimes. Sure, Merlin was with him most of the day and they had their laughs and deep talks sometimes but Merlin was working and so was he. They didn't have those times where they could just relax and have a good talk away from the castle like Merlin did with Gwaine. There were things Merlin probably couldn't tell him with him being king. In fact there was still a lot Arthur didn't know about Merlin. He knew where he lived and worked and the name of the village he had grown up in but nothing more personal. Gwaine probably knew.

Arthur pulled himself out of his thoughts and went to help the other knights pack up camp. It didn't take long, and within an hour a group of knights were all set to depart, the four injured on horseback. Only a small group remained with Arthur. Gauis had not wanted to leave without knowing what happened to Merlin so he remained, and of course Gwaine. Sir Leon stayed with Percival and Elyon - Arthur's most trusted knights and Merlin's friends. He tried to convince them to get some rest before dawn but he couldn't relax himself. He was worried and more awake than ever. As he could not sleep he tried to formulate a plan.

Before long he could hear someone stirring behind him and the sky was beginning to pale on the East horizon so Arthur took this as a cue to get up. The sky was now streaked with orange, turning the clouds a pale pink in the dark sky that still overlooked the camp. Everyone was gathered. Arthur didn't know if any of them had slept.

"Right," Arthur addressed the group, "Remember Morgana could still be out there somewhere so stick together. We'll find Merlin but I don't want any more attacks if we can help it." He turned back ready to ready to set off.

The trees were grey against the now pink and orange sky, swaying in the winds breath.

Then out of the trees came a figure. Merlin. He was stumbling over his own feet in his hurry to get there but when he saw them his steps became more purposeful and steady. Arthur's heart leapt. He was alive and he was safe. It was all he could do to prevent himself from running towards him.

As he stepped into the light, Arthur could see him more clearly: his raven black hair and blue eyes but there was something in them, his face showed no emotion as he continued towards them...and where had he got that sword?

Something was wrong...


	2. Chapter 2- Betrayal

**Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! Here's the next chapter and hope you like it! In answer to one of the questions no there is no pairing in this story, just good old values of friendship. I may start updating more regularly depending on the feedback of this chapter.**

**Anyway hope you enjoy this as much as I did writing it (also apologies for the ending of this chapter but a bit of suspense never hurt anyone...except fangirls...whoops)**

Chapter 2- Betrayal

Gaius had been overjoyed and so relieved when he saw Merlin though he was concerned when he stumbled. He worried about him a lot and Merlin didn't seem to realise that sometimes. Earlier, Gaius had tried to persuade Merlin to remain at camp but Merlin had insisted that there was no way to change his mind. He understood that Merlin had a destiny but he wished to god that it wasn't always so dangerous. Merlin had told him that he sensed powerful magic nearby and he had to check it out and make sure the camp was safe. He had gone personally to Arthur to make an excuse as Gaius was likely to fall back on his usual story that Merlin had gone to the tavern despite being in the middle of a forest and far from Camelot.

As the day had got later, and the sky darker, Gaius had begun to worry but wasn't able to start to inform anyone just yet. The sudden arrival of Morgana and warning had shaken him more than he cared to let on.

Now seeing Merlin in front of him, alive and well, made his fear drain away...but something was wrong. There was no smile or call. Merlin's face was passive of all emotion, his blank eyes fixed on Arthur. And that sword. He definitely hadn't had a sword before, nor was one missing but he held a long, silver sword in his hand, glinting in the faint light through the trees.

Arthur must have noticed it too for he made no movement to greet his friend. The others must have realised too as Merlin came closer as a few visibly shrank away. There was a strange aura around him like darkness and foreboding. Arthur was rooted to the spot, eyes fixed on Merlin. Merlin stopped when he was about a metre from him. Silence filled the air, waiting for something to happen.

And that's when Merlin swung his sword straight at Arthur.

* * *

Morgana strode calmly along, oblivious to her surroundings, the evil smirk still playing on her face. Her eyes were fixed straight ahead and her strides were long and strong. She had long left the clearing of the knights.

Then her face fell slack. She blinked suddenly a few time as though there was something in her eyes. She shook her head slightly and took a step back not as full of confidence as she was before. Then she noticed the trees surrounding her and the green canopy above her head, the overgrown grass, littered with broken branches and sticks: she was in a forest. Yes that seemed plausible. There wasn't far you could go without ending up walking through the forest.

Frowning, she scanned the area around her carefully but her head felt heavy and sluggish. Where had she come from? What had she been doing?

She had a feeling it had something to do with Arthur...or Merlin...both? That was obvious: most of her time was spent trying to get revenge on her brother and his troublesome runt of a manservant...but what had she been doing?

She dragged a hand over her face and tried to clear her thoughts but they were buzzing too much to focus on. Her memories were refusing to come to her aid or her mind come up with any ideas.

Forest. She was in a forest. No, she had already figured that out. Funny, why had she forgotten that briefly? She shook her head again and looked above her at the swaying leaves reaching out to the morning sky. It had been darkening when she saw her brother.

A memory! But as soon as she tried to grasp it, it slipped through her mind and away into forgetfulness. It had something to do with Merlin. Definitely Merlin and Arthur. She growled in frustration. Why couldn't she remember? Was she a powerful sorceress or not?...Was she? She frowned.

She was in a forest, she thought noticing the trees around her.

No. What had she been doing? What was happening to her? Why couldn't she remember? How...

She was in a forest.

Had to stop this. Had to...

She was in a forest.

She was...

Where was she?

Once more the evil smirk fell across her face, her eyes fixed directly in front of her. Morgana strode forwards, no longer aware of who or where she was.

* * *

If not for Arthur's quick reflexes, he would have been sliced. He leapt back just in time, the blade narrowly missing his chest.

"Merlin! What are you doing?" Arthur yelled as he ducked to avoid another swing. Merlin didn't seem able to hear him or took no notice at his words as he continued to swing his sword towards Arthur. Arthur continued to dodge Merlin's attacks, confused and hurt at why Merlin was acting this way. Maybe it was this or the shock of being attacked by one of his closest friends, that his next movement wasn't quick enough and the tip of Merlin's sword scraped the plate of armour on his chest, leaving a long white mark on the surface. Arthur stumbled backwards.

The other knights snapped out of their trance at the scene that had been unfolding before them and Leon and Gwaine rushed forwards. Before Merlin's next blow could come, Gwaine had grabbed Merlin's sword arm and Leon clung to the other. Merlin struggled against the two of them, trying to throw them off. This gave Arthur a moment to regain his balance and draw his sword warily.

"Merlin?" Arthur tried to stay calm, "I don't understand. Why? This isn't you. Snap out of it! Come on Merlin!" But Merlin paid him no attention as he continued to fight against the hold of the two knights. Arthur's heart clenched at the sight of him fighting against his own friends, his face full of anger but his eyes still blank. Nothing about this was right.

"Merlin!" Arthur tried again, "look at me. Merlin!" Still Merlin bid no notice to his friend's words. He continued to struggle and the knights clung on, not allowing him to cause anymore harm but Merlin possessed strength beyond his own, far beyond that of a young serving boy. With a jerk he managed to throw the knights off of him and they landed hard on the grass.

Arthur was stunned but he had been given time to unsheathe his sword to block the now renewed and stronger blows.

"Merlin...please..." He yelled between strikes, "Just...stop...this! Merlin! I'm...your...friend! Please!" For some reason this only strengthened Merlin's swings as though it was spurring him on or fighting harder to block the words.

The knights had pulled themselves off the ground and were ready to interfere but couldn't seem to find an opening in the two fighting men. If they tried to make another grab for Merlin they would risk being cut themselves or hindering Arthur rather than helping. They could only watch hopelessly.

Suddenly Merlin's seemed to take the advantage. Arthur was too focused on not harming Merlin which made him unwilling to make any more skilled moves other than defence and Merlin seemed to hold a strength and skill that wasn't his. In one fluid movement Merlin's sword caught under Arthur's and sent it flying through the air to wedge itself in the earth a few metres away. Arthur glanced back at it in panic, knowing he now had no defence and, with Merlin's growing determination, he would not be able to block the next attempt.

Gaius watched in horror as Arthur's weapon was removed and Merlin advanced for the next hit which would surely be fatal. His heart felt heavy with these events. He couldn't allow Merlin to do this: he clearly was not himself. No, this was not him acting through his movements. Was there any way to stop him? He glanced around for some form of help, maybe from a knight or something nearby.

There was nothing, no one, who could stop this despicable, unimaginable, act from taking place. Unless...

Gaius' eyes may have been clouded by feelings but he could never imagine Merlin causing him any harm. He was like a father to Merlin, well at least Merlin had always been like a son to him.

Acting on heart and instinct rather than logic, Gauis raced forwards and forced himself between Arthur and Merlin. Arthur seemed too stunned to react which suited Gauis perfectly. If this didn't work, he had at least saved his king some time.

Doubt imposed itself into his thoughts as Merlin's eyes remained blank and ruthless. The sword held above his head, then swung inevitably toward Gauis's neck, not wavering for a moment.

Gauis sucked in what could be his last breath as the sword came, bringing to an end his mortality on this Earth.


	3. Chapter 3- Resistance

**Thank you so much for the reviews! Please keep reviewing. It really makes my day reading them so please continue. Thanks!**

**Okay there are loads of answers in this chapter so it should make up for the wait which I'm sorry for. I meant to update mid-week but time got away from me and before I knew it the weekend was back around. **

**Hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 3- Resistance

The sword stopped. Mid swing. An inch from Gaius's shoulder.

Gauis released the breath he had held. It seemed it would not be his last. His wide eyes turned to curiosity as he stared at his young ward. Merlin's face was frozen in the same rage filled expression it had been in when he swung the sword and his eyes were still blank but he had stopped. Just stopped. His whole body was still in the same pose as it had been but was still as though someone and halted time over the young servant and Gauis was eternally grateful it had.

Gauis looked deeper into Merlin's eyes trying to see any reaction or sign of life hidden within. His Merlin had come back. It must have been the reason he stopped. It must have. Then Merlin blinked.

Gauis jumped slightly at the sudden movement. Arthur, before prevented by shock and horror, came back to his senses and grabbed Gauis's shoulder and pulled him back.

"Merlin?" Gauis asked quietly, trying to pull his shoulder from Arthur's grasp. This made Arthur pause.

Merlin blinked again. He was still for a few more moments which seemed to stretch themselves into an eternity, then suddenly he stepped backwards with a jolt like he had been hit with some invisible force.

Arthur had now released his hold on Gauis and was staring at Merlin with amazement and hope.

Merlin blinked more rapidly, his eyes now wide with shock. His eyes seemed to retain some of the life that had before been absent. The knights edged towards him absentmindedly, trying to get a clear view of the change coming over their friend. Merlin shook his head and raised his head, his grip tightening on the sword and rigid-ness returning to his body, at which the knights stopped their approach.

Gauis's stomach seemed to plummet along with his hopes. They had been so close to getting Merlin back.

Merlin shook his head madly again like a dog trying to get the water out of its fur. He staggered backwards as if fighting against a sudden strong gust of wind. The sword slipped from his grasp with a thud and his hands held his head in agony as he doubled over in pain. There he froze again, breathing heavily.

"Merlin?" Gauis attempted warily, eyeing his young ward with concern.

"Gauis," came a strangled cry from the boy who was still in that same pained position. Despite the apparent pain that Merlin was in, Gauis cried out in happiness at finally hearing the voice of his dear friend after what seemed like so long (though it had probably only been no more that an hour) with this impostor.

"Merlin!" Arthur shouted in relief, slipping his sword back into it's sheathe.

"Arthur," came a reply, then after a brief pause, "I'm sorry."

"I don't understand Merlin," Arthur exclaimed, he already knew the answer but he wanted to hear it for himself to reassure him, "Why?"

"Don't be thick Arthur" Gwaine broke in, "It wasn't him. He was being controlled. Merlin would never do this." Arthur was about to snap back when Merlin spoke again, struggling to get his words out.

"Gauis," Merlin ignored the others, "I...I...I can't..can't fight it! It's too powerful! I've tried...I'm trying...I don't know how long I can hold it for!" He was silent a moment, hesitating over whether he should continue. He must have given in for he continued reluctantly. "It hurts. Gauis, it hurts. My head. It's all burning. Behind my eyes. There's something there that I can't get out. It's burning it's way into my brain."

Any hope or relief that the group had extinguished immediately at the sound of his voice, shaking and short.

"Gauis how can we stop this?" Arthur asked desperately, turning to face the old man, unable to look at the form of his closest friend still doubled over in pain. Merlin had not moved from the position, his hands were still grasped firmly around his head and curled in on himself. Gauis tore his eyes away and pulled the king further away.

"This is powerful magic, I'm afraid, Sire," Gauis told him gravely, "I don't know a way to counteract the spell but apparently forcing him to harm someone he doesn't want to helps him fight stronger. Without knowing the caster or the spell, there is not much we can do."

"Why did he not snap out of it when he was fighting me?" Arthur frowned. Gauis couldn't help the weak smile that appeared in his face. Arthur probably hadn't even noticed. His face was full of concern for his friend but also tinged with hurt for not having any influence on Merlin. He cared so much despite how much he tried to hide it.

"You were the one that Merlin was possessed to kill," Gauis said softly, "The spell would have been stronger then so he could not fight against it as he could with me. The spell weakened as he wasn't directly forced to kill me so could find a way around it."

Arthur visibly relaxed at this, his eyes filling with determination rather than hurt.

"What are we going to do?"

Gwaine hurried over to them and joined the conversation. His gaze never left Merlin.

"So, what's the plan?" he asked them.

"We have to find the sorceress that cast this spell over Merlin," Gauis informed them quietly, glancing over his shoulder to make sure that Merlin hadn't moved and the other knights were watching over him. Leon, Percival and Elyon were in a ring around Merlin, swords drawn warily.

"That's Morgana," Gwaine said simply and Arthur frowned in agreement with Gwaine.

Gauis looked between the two of them. They were really so alike it was amusing seeing them disagree so often. Both defied orders and would do anything to help a friend. They were noble and loyal and honourable knights. They both didn't fully appreciate Merlin.

"Well, I am not too certain about that," Gauis explained slowly, " Did you notice that Morgana seemed a bit too keen to warn us of what was to come than to actually attack us or you, Arthur. She would, of course, have stayed around to witness her victory and yet she is nowhere in sight. And that rhyme she gave to everyone which was a bit odd. It may have been gloating but it was more helpful. Shouldn't she have relished the surprise of the attack? It would have made it easier."

"What are you getting at Gauis?" Arthur asked.

"I don't think that rhyme indicated what is happening now, or at least not just in this clearing and I don't believe it was Morgana who was behind this."

"How can it not be Morgana? I don't understand." Gwaine interrupted.

"Morgana isn't the only powerful sorceress. There are many more and a large majority of those will probably want revenge on the Pendragons." Gauis continued, "Now, that rhyme could have meant this or not..." Gauis tried to remember the lines exactly; it was starting to make a bit of sense to him,

"_Continue with your childish games_\- that could be all of us, not the knights who attacked Morgana. We're playing along into this sorcerer's hand. She had control of us and we're acting predictably, just like pieces in a game.

"_While your little world goes up in flames-_may mean that there is a bigger plot that this is distracting us from.

"_For while you're playing count the cost,_

_Your dearest friend has been lost_\- I thought before that this meant Merlin but if he's part of the "game" he's part of the distraction so probably isn't the one to be lost. It may mean you Arthur. Maybe this plan means to succeed or there is another plot going on behind all this.

"Those last two lines about Merlin being fine may have been just to reassure us and hint that this isn't about him but a bigger picture," Gauis finished. Of course, Merlin was the most important man in this world but the two before him could never know. The weight of his destiny hung heavy on Merlin's shoulders but if Arthur or Gwaine were to know, it would make the weight crush him even more. Arthur and Gwaine were silent for a while.

"If this is true," Arthur said, "We have to figure out what we're going to-"

"Arthur!"

They spun round to see Merlin standing straight, sword once again clutched in his hand and eyes blank. He took an unsteady step towards the group and raised his sword, ready to throw himself into a new attack on the King. The group was still too stunned by what Gauis had said and the other knights were reluctant to approach in case they had to cause Merlin any harm.

Suddenly Merlin froze again, a pained yell escaped his lips but this time he managed not to double over but stayed standing looking at the group.

"I'm trying...I'm trying," moaned Merlin. Gauis looked down at Merlin's sword arm. His hand was turning white from the grip he had and his other hand had a few drops of blood dripping through his closed fist from where his fingers had cut into his palm. After a few more moments the boy was shaking with the effort of containing the power that threatened to engulf him and turn him into everything that he was not. It took all his strength to not rush over to tend to him.

"We need to find this sorcerer and make them pay," Gwaine said furiously, "Gauis, you're the expert here. Any ideas?"

Gauis thought for a while. It had been long since he had dabbled in sorcery himself and he only briefly touched upon the subject when helping Merlin so he didn't have an answer straight away.

"If only I had my books," He muttered to himself then to the two men, "the best thing would be to find the sorcerer and either stop her casting this spell or find a way to stop its effects. Neither will be easy and, as I doubt that we could persuade this sorcerer, the latter option would be best but that would be difficult with little experience on spellcraft."

"That won't be "we"," Arthur corrected, "Only one of us can go. It will create suspicion if we all disappear and that will make this task much harder."

"I'll go,"Gwaine said.

The others looked at him strangely. Gauis had expected him to volunteer without hesitation- which he had- but there were chances that he would not know what to do when he found the sorcerer other than to kill them or Merlin's secret could be at risk.

"Well its obvious isn't it?" He replied to the looks he was recieving, "If Arthur disappears that may get a bit of attention considering that you are the sole cause of this problem," Arthur made like he was going to protest but Gwaine ploughed over him, "And Gauis will need to be here if someone gets injured."

His argument was undeniable and they agreed reluctantly that he should be the one to go. Gauis would have preferred to have gone with him as he would have more knowledge of how to counteract the spell but he could not leave Merlin's side while he was like that. They huddled together to discuss what was going to happen next. They figured the secrecy was necessary because whoever was controlling Merlin may be able to hear them.

"Merlin," Came a soft voice behind them and they all turned to see what the cause was, "You're bleeding."

Sure enough, blood was dripping down his chin from his nose, and mingling with the Earth where it fell.

"S'fine," Merlin managed through gritted teeth to prevent himself from yelling out again from the pain. Without a second thought Gwaine approached his friend. "No Gwaine don't..." But Gwaine had already walked straight up to him; not even glancing at the sword still poised in his hand, and produced a cloth to clean away the blood. He stepped back as if admiring his work and pocketed the bloodied rag. Merlin didn't reply.

"Merlin," Gauis started tentavely, "You can't stay like this. It's doing more damage than it did when you were being controlled...You're going to have to let go. Just for a short time to relieve this pressure."

Merlin shook his head forcefully. "No Gauis. I don't want to hurt anyone please."

"You won't hurt anyone," Arthur said drawing his sword and twirling it in his hand, "Give me a little more credit." Still Merlin shook his head.

"Couldn't we just knock him out or something," Percival asked, "Then no one is being harmed." It was a fair idea, though knocking Merlin out wouldn't be pleasant.

"No!" Merlin exclaimed shattering everyone's thoughts, "If I'm unconscious I won't be able to fight against it and the power will completely overwhelm me."

"Then," Gauis sighed, "You will have to let go for a moment to recover. Don't worry; Arthur should hold you off until you can stop it again." Arthur nodded and signalled for the rest of the knights to back off and gave a pointed look at Gwaine who understood.

Merlin did not look so sure but the pain must have been too much for even him to handle for a second later their Merlin was gone to be replaced by the empty version. There was a clash of swords that echoed hauntingly through the forest as the fight resumed.

Unseen to the mesmerized spectators, Gwaine slipped away into the forest.


	4. Chapter 4- Hunting

**Next Chapter! Again thanks so much for reviewing please, please continue. It gets me through the week. Okay, this chapter marks the half way part and I'm afraid cliffhangers become popular. **

**Hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 4- Hunting

Gwaine picked his way carefully through the forest, no idea where he should start looking for this sorcerer. He had been walking for about half an hour so far and the world had appeared to have righted itself the further he got away from camp. The birds called to each other noisily high up in the green canopy and the air was pleasantly cool beneath the trees. He had tried looking for signs of where Merlin had been but his tracks seemed to have completely disappeared overnight. He was deep in the forest now where the ground became less green and shadows began to creep out from the hidden corners.

He paused for a while trying to pick out any details he had missed. The grass was flattened from where he had walked through it but over there. The grass was disturbed over the ridge. He hurried over to it and examined the area. It was only a small person who had been here, not a knight, this could be the trail of Merlin- he was a rather scrawny young boy and may have left these marks. He raised his gaze and noticed the trunk of the tree for the first time. There were long scratch marks along the bark, high up at about above Gwaine's waist height and there were five of them- human scratch marks not an animal's. Whoever had made these had obviously put up quite a struggle and Gwaine half hoped it was Merlin. That was how hard this had become: he was actually hopeful of Merlin being forced against his will. Anything to lead him to whoever had done this.

Gwaine scanned the area again and noticed the same marking on another tree further along. He now had a trail to follow. He followed this for another half an hour and was nearly about to give up and decide he was wrong and this was not his trail to follow when he heard a noise up ahead. Light streamed into the dark forest signalling a clearing coming up. Gwaine slowed his pace and went into a slight crouch to keep out of sight of whoever might be in this clearing. He crept closer until he was only a few metres away and was only hidden by a few trees and greenery.

His breath caught in his chest as he saw Morgana pacing in front of him. She seemed agitated and distracted and was muttering incomprehensibly under her breath. She was muttering the spell. The spell that was controlling Merlin. She had to be. He took a cautious step backwards, his hand moving for his sword.

_Crack!_

Gwaine silently cursed himself. The twig had broken easily underneath his boot as the land was dry from many days of baking heat and lack of rainfall. Morgana instantly stopped muttering and looked up alertly. He tried to duck behind the trees but her eyes fixed on him sharply.

"Gwaine," She whispered weakly, "Gwaine." Her eyes looked strangely misty but hard as though there was a battle going on within them. It was a look that he recognized from somewhere. He tried to back away but she only advanced on him, her eyes not focused on him properly .He gripped the hilt of his sword firmly, ready for the first sign of danger. Her mouth seemed to form words but no sound was being made. She seemed to have stopped her muttering which meant that the spell on Merlin must have been broken. Was that it? Had he done it?

Something told him that it was far from over.

"Gwaine," she repeated again slowly then she said something that he never though he would hear and unnerved him greatly, "Help me..."

Gwaine stopped any attempts of getting away and stared stunned at the sorceress in front of him. The most powerful, evil sorceress and she was asking- no begging- him for help. She did not move and stared at a spot somewhere above Gwaine's shoulder, the same look in her eyes. He cursed himself again and edged forwards. This was not going to end well.

"Morgana," He said softly. Her eyes found him and the wordless muttering became more and more desperate.

"Morgana, what's going on?" He asked her, fearing the answer.

"I can't control it," She whispered quickly as if afraid she would be cut of at any moment, "I can't remember. What am I doing? Where am I?" she looked around panicked but continued her ramblings, "Too strong. Too powerful. I can't get it out. It keeps getting me. I don't know what to do, how to stop it. I try. I try so hard but so weak. I'm too weak. It's in here," She pointed a long finger to her temple, "Can't get it out." She leaped forwards grasping at the front of his armour, her eyes wild, "She's planning. She's been planning for so long. She will not fail. Her magic is too strong. There is no way to stop her. She will have her revenge and everyone will suffer. The whole of Camelot and all the kingdoms will suffer at her hand. She is rising." With that she pulled herself away and began pacing again, muttering inaudibly under her breath.

Gwaine was stunned. He knew Morgana was mad but this mad? He recognized some of this and hated to admit. Morgana was not herself. She was being controlled like Merlin and this made his task all the more harder.

"Morgana?" he tried again, "Who is she? Who is doing all this?"

Morgana did not acknowledge his words and Gwaine thought that she mustn't have been able to hear him. There was nothing he could get out of her now. At least he knew someone was behind all this and could get a bit closer to helping Merlin even if he didn't know where that sorceress was. Maybe Gauis would know. He would have to return to the clearing and report his findings so far. He hated to return empty handed but he would have to. He had taken too long and needed to know what was happening back there. Besides he had no more leads to follow. He would only be wasting more time.

"The caves," Came a voice behind him. He spun around and saw Morgana still pacing, still muttering. It had to be her who had spoken and now he had somewhere to go. He would not return to Arthur yet, he would follow this first. Glancing back at this frail, disturbed Morgana, he hurried away into the deep forest.

* * *

Gwaine approached the giant wall of rock cautiously. The line of trees stopped abruptly a few metres away from the cliffs as if afraid of being too close to them. He still stood within the forest, taking in the comfort of the enclosed green land around him as he stared upwards at the jagged cliff face that stretched upwards for what seemed forever. He had spotted the cave quite easily. It hung about fifty metres up like a gaping black hole in the side of the land that sucked in all light, matter and life. The air was silent here. No birds called to each other in the trees and the wind itself seemed too scared to cause the leaves to rustle in the trees. This whole area unnerved him.

Hesitating for a moment on the boundary, Gwaine approached the side of the cliff and searched the rocks. It didn't appear too difficult to climb; the rock was uneven providing many hand and footholds. He tested the rock carefully, testing his weight on the lower holds before trusting to climb higher. Steadily he made his way up the cliff face, testing each hold before putting his full weight on. He could feel the sun beating down on the back of his neck and his hands were slippery with sweat. He wished for a breath of wind but it would not some. Not in this place. It seemed to take forever to reach the gaping black cave and Gwaine was worried about how long it would have taken him. The longer it took him, the longer Merlin was stuck under this enchantment. He could not forget the look on his friends face: the pain, the fear, the anger. That was not him. Merlin did not deserve this. Gwaine was going to make sure that this sorceress regretted ever threatening his friend.

He pulled himself over the ledge and was immediately engulfed by the darkness. He looked back over his shoulder and saw the cave entrance had disappeared, completely consumed by the blackness that surrounded him. He felt the ground, warily, before him and slowly edged forwards, moving deeper into the cave and further into the unknown danger. Time seemed to have no meaning in this place as if the darkness had swallowed up even that. It made him uneasy.

He did not know how long he had been walking for. His senses were muddled and he had trouble thinking properly. In fact he seemed to be moving slower now. This cave was affecting him. He tried to shake himself out of it and became a little bit more alert and he quickened his pace. Almost as soon as he had done this a dull light glowed around him.

The cave had opened out into an enormous cavern filled with flickering orange light that danced shadows off the floor. The ceiling was lost high above him and the walls were hidden from view. The source of this light was from a small fire in the centre that was far too small to have cast all this light. A hunched figure sat by the fire with its back to him. The figure was wrapped in tattered rags and didn't move at Gwaine's arrival which was strange. To him, his breath sounded echoing in this open area.

There was no point hiding his presence: it was obvious he was here. He made his way around the edge of the dome of light, keeping his eyes fixed on the figure. He halted when he was at the opposite end of the fire. It was only then that the figure stirred.

Gwaine watched the figure raise its head and found himself looking into the eyes of deepest black it was easy to imagine that they must have spawned from these caves. The hood that had covered the head fell back to reveal a woman's face. She was tanned and wrinkled, her hair the colour of ash, tangled wildly. Her expression was hard as she surveyed the knight before her.

"What brings you hear little knight?" She asked, cocking her head to one side. Her voice was dry and harsh.

"You have put an enchantment over my friend," Gwaine replied, keeping his voice steady, "I have come to make you stop it."

"To make me?" The sorceress laughed brittley, "And what, little knight, makes you think that you have any power that could make me lift this spell?"

"So you admit you're the one who is controlling Merlin?" Gwaine shot at her.

"I do not deny it," She said.

"Why? Why are you doing this?"

"The Pendragon family paid me a misfortune. I am only returning the favour."

Gwaine frowned. This woman was hard to get clear answers from and he had no idea how he was going to make her lift this spell on Merlin. She did appear weak but his experience had taught him that appearances could be deceiving. Arthur would never have allowed him to do this but he had little choice.

"What would it take for you to stop all this?" He asked slowly.

"The death of the Pendragon and the kingdoms"

Alright so she definitely wasn't going to make this easy. He stared at the fire which was crackling steadily. Gauis had said to try to make the sorceress stop the spell and talking to her didn't seem to be working. He considered drawing his sword but he knew that she would merely use her magic to disarm him or kill him. If he could figure out how she was doing this, he could find a way to counteract the spell...but he knew nothing of sorcery. How would he find the signs to show the spell? Maybe if he could buy a bit more time.

"Why did you choose Merlin? It could have been any of us. And Morgana? What part did she have to play? She would have assisted you willingly. Why them? Why only them?"

This seemed to get her attention and Gwaine watched her for any signs he may have been missing.

"I chose them because they are both powerful. They were drawn to me because they could sense my power. Oh yes, they are both powerful," She told him with a slight smirk, "They would assist me greatly in this feat. They were drawn to me and I to them because of their strength. Their strength and their magic."


	5. Chapter 5- Defiance

**Again many thanks for the reviews and I really hope you're enjoying this story so far. Sorry for this chapter ending but it keeps things interesting. Please keep reviewing as well. **

**Okay, hope you enjoy this chapter! **

Chapter 5- Defiance

Gwaine was stunned. His knees felt weak and he was amazing that he still remained standing. Merlin had...Merlin was... No. Impossible. This sorceress was trying to turn him against his friends. He couldn't believe a word this sorceress said. That's what magic did: it lied to you and tricked you and only tried to hurt you as this information was doing to him now. Merlin couldn't possibly have magic. He was Merlin. He wouldn't keep this from them and Gwaine was pretty sure that he wasn't as good at keeping secrets as big as this. He shook his head forcefully.

"Just stop this," He muttered, "Stop all of this. This isn't the way. Let Merlin go."

The sorceress seemed very amused at his reaction and his words. She looked back at the fire and waved her hand over it. The flames instantly burned brighter. Gwaine couldn't help but watch them. They drew his gaze and began to shift before his eyes. At first they grew higher, flickering less as they widened. Smaller flames sprouted near the middle and twisted upwards until they formed a shape. Then another shape formed beside it, slightly smaller than the other. The two flames became more refined and detailed until they took a real form. He caught his breath as he stared at two fire versions of Arthur and Merlin. They were both facing each other swords raised.

"Your friends probably do not have much time left, little knight. I do not think there is much that you can do," She feigned sympathy which made his stomach turn. She was really enjoying this.

"Friends?" He noted.

"Oh yes," She told him, "Both of them, not just the King. Once he has been dealt with, if the other knights do not, I will put an end to dear little Merlin. He will no longer be of any more use after the King is dead. It's a shame really, he would have been great but his destiny will have to end. Unfortunately by my hand."

Gwaine's anger rose. She really did want everyone to suffer. The more, the better. Though Merlin would probably be too distraught and guilty to have much thanks for keeping his life. He wanted to teach this sorceress. To make her suffer the way he knew Merlin was and to make her sorry. To end that evil glint her dark eyes and stop her taunting. He restrained himself from doing anything irrational and curiosity took control.

"Destiny?" He questioned.

The sorceress gave a shocked expression and added sweetly, "Oh, has dear Merlin not told you? I would love to be the one who were to tell you this but I do believe he would much prefer to tell you himself. I could not deny him that privilege."

The images in the fire began to move now, fighting together. They moved smoothly so it was almost like watching the real scene but through a veil of flames. The clash of swords seemed to echo somewhere deep within the cave. He was mesmerised by this scene.

"Oh do sit down, little knight," The sorceress offered.

Gwaine desperately wanted to refuse but he already felt weak and couldn't help himself from sinking slowly to his knees. Was this what was happening now?

"Yes," She said as if in answer to his thoughts, "This is all currently happening as we speak. He has already been under my influence for a long time, he should complete his task soon," She frowned, "I am quite sure that dear Merlin should be further than this. Arthur should be ready to fall but they both seem unaffected."

Gwaine bit his lip in order to prevent himself blurting out that Merlin was fighting back. It would buy him more time if she didn't know and he didn't know if she would make things even worse with this knowledge. He watched the image as his two friends continued to fight. They shifted about all over the fire and were consistent in their efforts. He was glad that he wasn't still at the camp. He didn't know how he could stand and watch this happening before him.

Suddenly one of the figures stumbled and the sorceress smiled to herself until she realised which one of them it was. Merlin had become unbalanced and come to a halt with his sword by his side and Arthur has also lowered his sword to talk to him.

"What is this?" She screeched as she watched the still form of Merlin, and Arthur relaxed and rested, "How is this possible? Why have they stopped?"

Gwaine could not hold himself back anymore.

"Merlin's been fighting back," He blurted out, enjoying the outraged look on the sorceress's face, "He's been fighting. It seems you have underestimated the strength of your abilities. Arthur is no closer to falling than he was when you started all this."

He watched as the flame Arthur walked out of view of the fire and Merlin remained. He wasn't showing much sign of pain but was breathing heavily. Maybe he had adapted to the pain or was getting better at hiding it. The sorceress was beyond angry. She glared at the flames and her eyes glowed gold, such a contrast from the deep black that it was even more threatening. The flames flickered wildly, rising and falling like a creature breathing. She began to mutter in a strange tongue, throwing her words at the fire venomously.

"What are you doing? What's happening?" Gwaine shouted, backing away fearfully from the sorceress. She gave no sign at his words but continued her chanting. This was becoming a habit: being ignored by sorceresses and his friends. She finally threw one last word at the fire, completing the spell, and the flames exploded, smoke curling through the air and the sparks flitting across the cavern. It died back down immediately and revealed the sorceress's face and smug grin which only made her more evil looking.

"I think I may have solved that problem. Come and see, little knight." She beckoned him back towards the fire to look into the scene that was being shown. He edged back over reluctantly. He wanted to run from this place and never return, not approach this dangerous and powerful sorceress but he had to know what she had done. He lowered his gaze to the scene that was being shown.

Nothing had changed from the last time he had seen the image. Merlin stood alone in the fire, as still as he had been before, sword by his side, staring ahead. Suddenly his whole body jolted and he began to shake uncontrollably. He collapsed to the ground and curled into himself. Gwaine couldn't help fall to his knees to get a closer look at his friend in the flames. Merlin's face was contorted in pain and his mouth open in a long silent scream. He was still shaking.

Within seconds, other figures had crowded into the small fire and surrounded Merlin. Arthur was by his side, fear evident in his eyes as he watched his servant on the ground. Gauis was trying to help Merlin, checking him over and trying to stop whatever was causing him this pain but he seemed helpless. The other knights stood around them, slightly shell shocked and unsure what they should be doing. Merlin did not stop. If anything, he seemed to be getting worse.

Gwaine's heart turned to ice and his chest hurt at this sight. This was worse than when Merlin was possessed. This was exactly what he had thought could happen if this sorceress found out that Merlin was resisting. He tore his eyes away and looked at her face to see she was _smiling_. She was smiling at the pain she was causing all of these people. Anger flared up within him, replacing his worry and fear, anger that he had never felt before and clouded his thoughts. He drew his sword without hesitation.

"That will teach your friend for trying to defy me," She smirked, eyeing the sword with a glint in her eyes.

"Stop it! Just stop it!" He yelled at her. His voice sounded a hundred times louder in the cavern.

She gave a light laugh that sounded cold and old as though it have been decades since it had been used. He raised his sword threateningly but she didn't react.

"You cannot stop me, little knight. There is nothing you can do that can make me stop my plan taking place. One way or another, your friends will die. I will, however, allow you to watch their final moments."

Gwaine looked back at the fire again. Arthur was getting more agitated and Gauis was panicked as he searched for some sort of cure. The other knights were all talking at once. And Merlin...Merlin was getting even worse. He looked like he was still screaming and his figure in the flames had begun to flicker in and out unlike the other people. He was fading. What did that mean in the real world? What was happening to Merlin? He wanted to be there for his friend. He had to do something. He couldn't just allow this to happen...but he was. There was nothing he could do. Here he was with the sorceress that was causing all this and he could not stop her. He could not stop this.

And now he was watching his closest friend die...


	6. Chapter 6- Consequence

**Next Chapter! Yay! As in the comments I was asked why this sorceress would want to kill Merlin if she knows about his destiny. So in answer she is bitter and darkened by the way magic has been treated by Camelot and only wants revenge. It doesn't matter if Merlin can supposedly unite the two she only wants revenge and by killing the king she can achieve that and believes that magic will be able to be free once more without the rule of the Pendragons.**

**(I'll try to answer questions asked in comments so hope this was helpful and a bit clearer.)**

**Okay hope you enjoy this chapter. This is whats been happening whilst we've been following Gwaine. Please review!**

Chapter 6- Consequence

Reluctantly, Merlin had stopped resisting the powers of this enchantment and let it wash over him, leaving him completely blank. It was nice to feel nothing instead of the pain that had engulfed him when he had been fighting against the spell. He had tried not to let the others see how much it hurt but they could definitely tell from his reactions.

He watched as though through someone else's eyes the events carrying out before him. He saw himself swing the sword and it strike Arthur's. The clash of the swords echoed out a few seconds after as though delayed from registering to his ears. It had taken him a while to break through and cause himself to stop last time but hopefully it would be easier on the second try.

Arthur was holding up rather well. Now that he was no longer confused as to why Merlin was attacking him, he had replaced his hurt with anger and control to keep Merlin back and not cause him harm. None of them had noticed Gwaine's disappearance. Merlin let the attack continue when he accepted that Arthur was doing fine. He needed the rest. Resisting that spell had taken more from him than he cared to let on. He still had a slight ache in his temple and behind his eyes but it had lessened slightly now he had stopped. He was much more at ease watching himself attacking Arthur now that they understood what was happening.

Nearly striking Gauis had been the last straw and given him the strength he needed to finally break through. He never would have been able to forgive himself if he had caused any harm to his mentor. Despite what he had been told, he wasn't using this time of relief to recover, he was using it to try and figure out what had happened to him and, more importantly, how he was going to break free. Allowing himself to forget about his current self, he let himself fall back into his memories, as damaged as they were.

It had only been last night that all of this had happened.

The sun had just begun to sink beneath the horizon when he had finally left camp to check out the disturbance he had felt somewhere nearby. He had never felt anything like this: such powerful magic that was easily felt in the air. It had been like a beacon signalling him to follow to something amazing. If only he had know what awaited him.

The sky had darkened impossibly quick as he made his way steadily through the forest. He stumbled on the roots of trees that emerged suddenly as if to hold him back and prevent him from continuing on his search. The presence on the magic was growing stronger, willing him to hurry to find him. He did not know how long he had been walking for but the stars were clear through the veil of the trees. Returning to camp was seeming more convincing as he tripped on another tree root. His eyes were growing heavy and he had travelled so far from camp that he doubted whatever presence he could sense would not threaten the camp.

He was about to turn back when there was a deep pain in his head that made him cry out loud. As soon as he turned back around the way he had been heading the pain stopped. So something was forcing him to find this thing, whatever it was. From experience, succumbing to the wishes of unknown magic was a very bad idea. He had been victim to many dark forces before and did not want any repeats or unnecessary dangers.

He turned around again and tried to head back to camp but now his entire being hurt. His head was numb with the pain and his legs refused to support him. Slowly, he fell to the ground, clutching his head in his hands. What was this? He had never felt anything this strongly before. He only felt more determined to fight against it. Whatever was waiting for him, wherever he was supposed to be heading, was not good and he did not want to face it.

Merlin resorted to crawl forwards to get away as his legs had no strength to stand up properly. The further away he managed to get, the more intense this pain was until he could no longer stand it. His world grew dark and he passed into the pleasant world of unconsciousness.

When he awoke, darkness still surrounded him. He was no longer in the forest. He could feel hard stone ground beneath him and any natural sound of the outdoors was non-existent here. Not even the wind touched this place- wherever here was. Merlin became unaware to whether his eyes were indeed open, so deep was the darkness. It wasn't just the fair dullness of night, and even through closed eyes, the smallest amounts of light will find its way through but this. This was like the darkness was a being itself that had engulfed him the thick blackness of fear and foreboding.

Again, he was unsure of how long he had been there for. He had made many attempts to move but was paralyzed by the darkness. After a while a harsh murmuring carried its way towards him and his senses began to recover. Merlin panicked even more now he was aware of another person, in fact there were two people. And he still couldn't move, couldn't get a look at who was with him. It was then that the realisation dawned on him. The murmuring was a spell. There was only one voice speaking and, so strong was the presence that it had to be here, it had to be whoever was casting this spell. As for the other person, they must have also been a captive like himself. He had no idea how he knew these things but as soon as he had drawn these conclusions, he knew them to be true.

The murmuring person appeared before him, her face was blurred and she laid a cool hand on his forehead. His world grew dark once more.

The next thing he knew he was back at camp. Arthur was before him. Relief was evident in his eyes. Then Merlin had attacked. He couldn't control his actions so he watched as he continued to strike at Arthur and the confusion and the hurt and the betrayal grew more and more on his friends face.

Merlin pulled himself from his memories to concentrate again on what was happening before him. Regretfully, he was no closer to figuring this out than he was when he started. He hated being clueless. Usually he was the one who knew everything that was going on behind the scenes, knew the real causes and plans and, most importantly, knew how to stop them and save the day. This feeling of helplessness and confusion was frustrating. Now he knew how Arthur must feel.

Arthur. He watched Arthur carefully, making sure that he was not tiring yet. Merlin did not want to stop his thoughts just yet but he would freeze himself without hesitation should his friend require it. He wished he could take more control and have some movement as well.

It had been a woman who was in that cave, who had placed this enchantment over him. That knowledge didn't give him much help. He didn't know who she was, what she looked like and was no closer to breaking her spell. This was hopeless. He half wished that Arthur would just finish this. He never would but Merlin would rather he died than the king. The truth was he didn't know how long he would be able to continue fighting back and he was weakening so much already.

More to stop himself from thinking about these things, Merlin stopped himself mid-swing and felt himself settle back into his body properly again. He could feel properly again. The weight of the sword in his hand, the slight tickle of the grass against his ankles, the gentle breeze that greet him, the tiredness of his muscles, the pain... He forced himself not to dwell on that and looked at his friends around them

Their expressions did not lighten his mood. They were full of concern and worry. It was like he was that small child who had first set foot in Camelot all those years ago and not who he really was. Not the warlock who had defeated dragons and armies from the dead and saved all their lives many times- although they would never be able to know that.

Arthur was sitting on the ground sipping the water he had been offered. He seemed okay but he was nearly as good as Merlin was as keeping his true feelings hidden. Gauis had checked him over quickly and now was heading over to see if Merlin was okay. He stopped a few metres in front of him, searching him worriedly.

"Are you alright Merlin?" He asked gravely.

"Oh, marvellous," Merlin said, trying to act a bit more lightly but his pain prevented it coming off quite so well, "Really, I couldn't be better. It definitely beats polishing armour back at Camelot. You know, it's always nice to take a break from routine."

Gauis frowned at him disapprovingly but accepted it as an answer and went back over to check on Arthur.

Merlin nearly forgot to fight against the spell for a moment. It hadn't been much but Merlin had noticed: Gauis hadn't come too close to him. Gauis was afraid of him. Gauis. The most important person in his life. The person he entrusted all his secrets to. The one who knew about his magic. He was afraid of Merlin. He didn't trust him to be strong enough to stop this.

Merlin's whole world seemed to fall apart. Sure, he supposed that it was just a precaution. Merlin wasn't himself and had struggled at first but the fear, there was fear in Gauis's eyes. Gauis had never acted like this before. Even in the darkest of times he would be by Merlin's side and would be reassuring him that everything would turn out right. He would be there for him but now, now he didn't seem too keen to even get too close to Merlin. What was happening? This was all wrong. Everything about this was wrong.

Arthur jumped to his feet and readied his sword again. He gave a small nod at Merlin who almost missed it and the fight resumed. Merlin didn't want to think anymore. Every time he did, the whole situation appeared worse than ever. He watched himself fight with Arthur, trying to lose himself in the image and not let his mind wander.

He wasn't even doing anything to stop this. He was trying to kill his own friend and he hadn't even tried to stop it apart from occasional breaks. What type of warlock was he? How powerful could he be if his destiny was falling to pieces before his eyes? His _destiny._ That seemed like a bad joke now. The very man he was destined to protect was now going to fall by his hand. This was all hopeless. What was the point in all this? He was no sorcerer.

Merlin shook his head forcefully. These were not his thoughts. These words were not his own. That sorceress was trying to control him even more. Anger flared up inside him. He would not allow her to win. He would make sure she would fall and that her plan would never succeed.

He had to bottle his anger up when he realised that it was affecting the fight and Arthur was beginning to struggle. No, this sorceress would not win.

They continued like this for a while longer, Arthur keeping Merlin at bay whilst Merlin continued to fight unwillingly. The thoughts that had plagued him were now silenced. Only when Arthur was beginning to tire did they stop.

"Is that it Merlin?" Arthur called, "I could have continued for ages yet." Merlin managed a roll of his eyes.

"Not with the new holes I've had to put on that belt of yours," Merlin shot back, "Too many feasts I think."

Arthur laughed at his servant, relieved to have some of the normal teasing back in check. He went back to his seat on the grass and gratefully took gulps of his water. Gauis was by his side in an instant, fussing over him. Only once he was assured that he was indeed fine, did Gauis back off.

Merlin watched the interaction with a sad smile. He wanted to this to all be over and was more determined than ever. Whilst they were resting he tried even more to overcome the spell but it would seem to no avail. The spell seemed to be getting even stronger...

The spell was constricting him, forcing itself in on him. He shook uncontrollably and only hoped that his friends would not notice. They had enough to worry about. Besides, the pain would pass, it had been for a while. But it did not. The others were taking notice too. A wave of agony flared over him, burning his soul and he collapsed to the ground. He curled up, trying to protect himself from the pain but it began to build and build. His eyes closed tightly. Make it go away. Make it stop.

Someone was screaming. He was screaming. The sound blocked itself from his ears as his brain seemed to be closing down to fight against the pain. There was a slight pressure on his arm and Merlin managed to open his eyes a fraction to see Arthur and Gauis. Gauis was next to him, trying desperately to help. Gauis was here. He was with him again. His vision was going black at the edges. Everything blurred and his eyes closed again.

Was he still screaming? He couldn't tell anymore. Nothing registered except this pain. So much pain. It was like his body was trying to break apart from the inside, trying to get away from this unbearable agony. Never had he faced anything like this. The pain behind his eyes doubled as whatever was there burrowed itself deeper. It was that same presence. It was here. It was with him.

Make it end. Anything. Just make it end. That is all he wanted. He didn't want this anymore. He didn't want to fight. He didn't want this pain. His chest felt restrained and his breaths became more ragged. His heartbeat became more prominent as each thud exploded in his chest. His head couldn't process anymore. Everything was beginning to fade. Was that good or bad? He felt empty.

He felt himself fading. It was pleasant to feel nothing now. Floating in the emptiness of a void. This was good. Wasn't it? He couldn't think straight. What was happening? Did it matter? No. Of course not.

And so he sank deeper into the nothingness.


	7. Chapter 7- Hope

**Second last chapter! This is almost over, sadly. But...I'm already busy on a sequel. Yep a sequel! If you're interested let me know and I'll try to get it done as fast as I can. Hopefully when I post the next chapter I will let you know the title and when I'll post it but it still needs work for now. **

**Also reviews! Thank you thank you thank you! It really means so much to me knowing that people actually like what I'm writing. **

** Hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 7- Hope

Horror covered Gwaine's face as he stared transfixed at the fire. Merlin's form was flickering more than ever before, desperately trying to stay aflame. His hand clenched on his sword tighter. Slowly he tore his eyes away from the small fire and glared at the sorceress. She smirked at him, thoroughly enjoying all this, drinking in his reaction. Once again that anger flared up within him drowning out all the other emotions.

"You...You..." He struggled to get his words out, his fury clouding his thoughts.

"Me? Me?" She asked innocently, "I am only doing what I am supposed to be. What are you doing little knight?"

"About to put the end to an evil sorceress," He growled at her raising his sword, completely forgetting that her magic would probably be able to block his attacks easily. He wanted to put an end to her. He wanted to keep his friends safe. He didn't want to stand here helpless when the cause of all this pain was standing right in front of him.

He launched himself at her swinging the sword wildly but only found it stopped as though lodged in an invisible shield. Her eyes glinted maliciously and he stumbled backwards, pulling his sword free with him. This knocked some sense back into him and he dropped any more attempts that came to mind. It would be no use if he got himself killed when his friends needed him. She smiled at his submission.

With a glance back at the fire and Merlin's fading image she told him in mock sadness, "I don't think I can allow poor Merlin to continue with this task. It seems it was too, ah, taxing on him. But I suppose these things cannot be helped. I will only have to find someone else who could help me."

It took a moment for her words to sink in until Gwaine realised what she was saying, in delayed orders. She was telling him that she was finished with Merlin. Did that mean she was going to let it go? No, or if she did then not for long. The short time that he spent in her presence had taught him enough about her character. She would not simply let Merlin go. She would make him suffer for disobeying him and then put an end to his misery, so to speak. Gwaine couldn't make himself think of that so pressed him brain to work faster.

Someone else to help? Who would be stupid enough to help her? She was plain evil. He had thought that Morgana was bad but even she was merely a pawn in this sorceress's game. That's all it was to her: a game which she had all the cards to. And if she was going to replace Merlin then it would surely be by the same means. Sadly there was only one person stupid enough to walk right into her hands and that idiot was standing dumbstruck in front of her.

"Leave him alone" The idiot mumbled weakly then louder and more stronger, "Leave him alone. Stop all of this. Enough is enough sorceress. You can't take any more lives. This ends here!"

The sorceress let out a loud cackle of laughter that resonated of the cave walls, hidden somewhere in the darkness, menacingly. Her small beady eyes fixed on him like a snake sizing up it's prey. He recoiled at her laughter.

"Little knight, you do not know how foolish you sound," She laughed, "You are the most entertaining company I have had in a long while. It almost makes me sad to see you go. Almost." She began to rise to her feet, her old bones creaking and her eyes never leaving his. "What makes this most humorous is the fact that you still believe that there is a chance that I can be stopped. If your dear friend Merlin could not stop me then you, little knight, definitely will not be able to." She was at her full height now and, to his surprise, she was about as tall as he was despite her old, hunched demeanour.

Gwaine gripped his sword uselessly in his hand, unable to prevent the brief fear that swept across his features. She was right. He was a knight. She was a sorceress. What chance did he really have against her? At least he would not go easily. He could not allow her to take control of him when she had already taken one of his friends.

"The only shame," The sorceress let out a dramatic sigh, "is that this control will not be as convincing as Merlin's. As you do not possess magic you will be easier to control and therefore will easily give away your intent. It loses the naturalistic look. But, I suppose, it can't be helped."

"Stay away sorceress," his voice wavered but his hand did not shake when he raised his sword to her.

"Oh, no," She told him calmly, "I first will need a little something from you. Not much. And it certainly won't hurt if you don't want it to. Your sword will not be needed here. I come well equipped." She withdrew from her cloak a small gleaming dagger, the edge of which was still stained a faint crimson.

"Just a little drop of blood and all your worries are over," she said soothingly, advancing.

A faint smile worked itself onto Gwaine's face. Maybe...maybe. She was indeed a powerful sorceress and against her magic he definitely did not stand a chance of stopping her but with a blade. One of the worst things she could have done was to bring a knight back into his own territory. To threaten a swordsman with a blade was a mistake. He backed away from her slowly, silently calculating her speed, their distance apart and her arm reach, keeping just out of range. Her eyes glinted gleefully, obviously taking his retreat as fear- a sure sign that she had easily won this and that he was trapped.

His foot hit the edge of the dome of light. For some reason he felt that he should not step out of it and came to a stop just on the barrier. The sorceress came forwards more slowly now, finding he had nowhere to go. She raised the dagger with a small smile.

In a flash Gwaine had lunged forwards and caught her blade with his and spun the dagger out of her hold in one fluid movement. He used the momentum of the swing to come towards her, so that he could see every detail in her dark eyes and the moment of shock spread upon her face, then pushed himself around her, catching his sword on her upper arm so that he now stood behind her between the fire and left a deep red welt in her cloak.

A roar of rage and pain exploded around the cavern from the sorceress. Gwaine caught a brief glimpse of her eyes flash a pure molten gold before he was thrown backwards through the air. He landed hard on the stone ground, winding him where he fell just behind the fire. The flames only wavered slightly and the images did not stir. His eyes lingered on Merlin's flame which was now burning low and not flickering as much but fading. His vision spun and he blinked stars from his eyes.

"How dare you!" The sorceress roared, all the falsely sweet and taunting tones vanishing from her voice, "You will pay for this. I will make you suffer so much. I will personally make sure you watch all your little friends die and every waking moment is agony! How foolish you are, knight, thinking you can stop me with your small toy swords! I am not so easily defeated. And now...And now you will fall!"

She began to make her way towards him, her eyes crackling with anger and magic. Gwaine shrunk away and fear kept him rooted to the spot. The malice in her eyes told him that she would not show mercy. Her whole presence radiated power and evil. His eyes briefly lingered on Merlin's form and a last wave of anger and determination flared up within him.

His mind raced as he desperately tried to find a way out, to think of something that she had said, something that she had gave away that, unbeknownst to her, would give him an escape. She needed his blood. That was the one thing she had told him but what had she meant to do with it? How? Was it just a simple spell that was spoken? He didn't think so. He wasn't certain but didn't a spell need full concentration? And the sorceress was pretty distracted right now. It couldn't be a spell.

Something else was channelling the enchantment then. He scanned the cavern quickly before his eyes fell back to the approaching sorceress. The cavern was completely empty as far as he could see before the darkness that clung to the walls hindered his view. Nothing that she was using. Maybe something hidden within her cloak? Somehow he doubted it. Her long black cloak hung loosely on her thin frame but there was little way she could have hidden something. So what?

His eyes flicked back to the fire to watch his friends. Arthur was by Merlin's still side and Gauis was trying to revive him. The fire!

This whole place was empty of everything apart from this fire. This fire that was giving off light far beyond it was capable of. Magic. This fire possessed so much magic. Possibly because it was holding a powerful enchantment. It was the only conclusion that had seemed right. Impossible but right. It was his only hope. Last chance.

Putting the two together, he flicked he sword. The sorceress smiled at his failed last attempt to strike which soon turned to a look of pure dread as she saw scarlet drops, which had clung to the sword, sweep into the fire with a faint sizzle and hiss. Instantly the fire glowed a faint gold and burnt higher, crackling louder.

Gwaine gave a cry as Merlin's image vanished but relaxed when he realised the other figures had gone also. Slowly, the fire settled down to the normal orange flames, waving happily as though nothing had happened. Had it worked? He dared not hope.

He raised his gaze to look at the sorceress and found her frozen on the spot, her blank eyes staring unseeingly ahead. He pushed himself back to his feet, grabbing his head as it spun from his movement. He peered at her cautiously. It hadn't been that simple had it? He did not possess any magic. The fire must have already held the spell and magic needed. All he had to do was add the final ingredient. He circled her, looking for any signs of movement to indicate the spell hadn't worked. Nothing. He went back to the fire and faced her.

"Sorceress," He called in a commanding voice, "Lift this spell. Set Merlin free." She did not stir. Gwaine frowned at the ground. His theory was that she would follow his orders as he had added the blood. It had to work that way. For all he knew, Merlin was still in the same conditions, moments from death. Maybe she couldn't alter the spell. He tried again.

"Sorceress," he ordered, "If you cannot lift the spell then tell me how to lift it."

He held his breath hopefully.

"The reversing of the spell is simple," Her voice had changed dramatically. No longer was it hinted with that old bitter tone but a young, soft voice seemed to emanate from somewhere deep within the cave. A voice that was not laden with all that hatred but pure and innocent. The very sound softened his heart for this sorceress. This had been who she once was, long ago. "You need only blood, dear knight."

Gwaine dragged a tired hand over his face. Why must sorcerers always speak in riddles?

"I have already put the blood in the fire."

"Oh, no," She corrected softly, "You need the blood of a sorcerer. Magical blood."

Again. Gwaine heaved a great sigh then pointed out, "_Your _blood was magical. I have already done what you said."

"Yes, the blood of the caster," She said simply, "You now need the blood of a sorcerer who was victim of the curse."

Gwaine yelled in frustration. He was so close. Why hadn't he put an end to Morgana when he had a chance? Why had he been so weak? Then her distressed face came before him and he knew why. She had been so powerless and fragile. He couldn't take a life. Not like that. Even if she had caused them all so much pain. He bit his lip. How long had passed since he had left the camp so long ago? Was there enough time to find Morgana and break the enchantment in time? Did Merlin have enough time?

Wearily, he retrieved his sword and went to sheath it before glancing at the scarlet liquid that was still clinging to the blade. He reached into his pocket to clean the blade and halted. The cloth! He unfolded it, his excitement making his hands tremble as he did so. Just as he remembered and hoped, dark red spots stained the cloth from what seemed like a life time ago. The blots of blood from when he had tended Merlin. Did it work if the blood wasn't fresh? He decided he didn't care anymore. It would work or he would make it. Carefully, he held the cloth over the fire, just out of the flames reach. He glanced at the sorceress who was still staring at nothing.

"Does this break the spell for all of you?" He asked.

No answer.

"Is that all I have to do? Add the blood?"

"And extinguish the fire." came a faint reply. His heart leaped.

"And then it's over?"

"You will have 7 minutes."

Okay. 7 minutes to get the hell out of here. He could live with that. He unclipped the red cape, which bore the seal of Camelot, from his shoulder and held it in his other hand prepared. Taking a deep breath, he first dropped the cloth with Merlin's blood. Never had he hoped more than ever for his best friend to be magic and the sorceress's words had been true. He didn't care if magic was evil or that it was illegal under payment of death. Merlin was his friend. His best friend. Just let him be okay. Let him live.

No sooner had the flames licked the cloth, the fire exploded in a blinding gold that threw him and the sorceress to the ground as a great gust of air swept the room from the fire. The flames leapt so high that for the first time Gwaine could glimpse the tips of stalactites so far above in the cavern ceiling. It took several moments before the flames finally died down to a reasonable level. Gwaine scrambled forwards with his cape and threw it on the fire, desperately trying to extinguish the flames. He stamped madly until the last ember had flitted into no existence and the cavern was doused in the darkness that it should be.

Beginning to count in his head, he spun around and ran with all his being for the exit in the direction he remembered he had come from. Time ticked away, stretching itself around him as he scurried through the dark cave, scraping himself against he walls and stumbling over his feet and rocks that emerged from nowhere. An inky darkness surrounded him, pressing itself around him so that he couldn't see, couldn't breath.

Suddenly his boot connected with open air. His stomach dropped as he reached for a hand hold, grabbing it only just before he fell too far. He scampered down the side of the cliff, slipping constantly, not stopping until his feet were firmly set on the welcoming grass. His foot had missed the last hold and he had fallen the remaining distance to the ground, jarring his ankle painfully. His hands were smudged with blood and dirt and stung in the open air. Not having time to worry about himself right now, he marched straight for the forest.

The thought of Morgana crossed his mind for a moment. He considered checking on her as no one else would. Then he came back to his senses and shook his head at no one, dismissing the thought entirely.

Limping slightly, he half ran through the trees, not pausing for a moment or looking back, hoping against all hope that he was in time to save Merlin.


	8. Chapter 8- Secrets

**Last Chapter! I have really enjoyed this and really hope you all have too. Thank you everyone who reviewed I cannot express how happy it makes me reading your comments and seeing the people who followed this story. I'm sad this is over now...**

**But the sequel shouldn't be too long of a wait. I have decided on the title "When lightening strikes" so keep an eye out. I will probably post the first chapter next week but the rest may take a bit longer as I'm still writing. There may be more answers in the next story and so far its proving to be longer chapter-wise and probably overall too.**

**Okay, last chapter. Enjoy!**

Chapter 8- Secrets

The camp was completely silent, the inhabitants still with shock as the young man in front of them screamed in obvious agony from the floor. Gauis was knelt beside Merlin, trying desperately to help but this was beyond him and all he could do was watch.

Arthur felt sick. This was too much. Merlin was completely innocent. He was the most loyal, kind and gentle man he had ever had the fortune of meeting and most definitely did not deserve all this pain. He shouldn't have even been here, but as always he had insisted on coming and now he was paying a horrible price. Arthur cursed himself. This was all his fault. He shouldn't have let him come and certainly should not have let him wander off on his own for so long without sending anyone to look for him or keep him safe. Yes, definitely his fault. Arthur was by his side trying to comfort him, a hand on his shoulder to keep him still from the violent shakes that took over his body and to let his friend know that he was there as reassurance.

Merlin continued to scream a heart wrenching sound that was so unnatural in the peaceful forest.

"Merlin, please," Arthur said softly, "Please stop this. I need you to fight against this. I will never forgive myself if anything happens." He spoke so quietly so that only Merlin and Gauis could hear. He hoped his words were getting through to Merlin but if they were he gave no indication. He just wanted to let him know that he was not alone.

"Come on," He continued, "You are the most stubborn disobedient servant I have ever met. You're not going to let magic control you. It will not get the best of you. So for once in your life listen to me and do as you're told. Stop it." He felt his eyes welling up with the tears that he fought so hard to keep back but some managed to trace themselves down his cheeks.

He saw Gauis giving him a look from the corner of his eye but couldn't bring it to himself to care. Merlin was his friend. He was the only one who treated him like a person and not as a king who had to be mollycoddled by his servants and followers for being who he was. Merlin had always been there for him and now it was his turn to return the favour. He gripped Merlin's shoulder tighter, willing him to come back.

But still Merlin continued to scream.

This continued for impossibly long. Arthur couldn't understand why this was happening. He glanced around him quickly at the knights. All but one was present. Gwaine was still missing. He sent a silent prayer that he would solve this soon and put an end to this. Never before had the king felt so helpless.

Suddenly the air fell silent. It was a moment before Arthur realised why. Merlin had stopped. Just stopped. He stared at him carefully. The servant's face was blank, his eyes still screwed shut and he was completely still. It had seemed he had fallen unconscious. At least, he hoped he was just unconscious.

He glanced at Gauis whose face was creased with worry. With a pang of guilt, Arthur realised how Gaius must be feeling and hated himself for being so selfish. Gauis and Merlin were closer than anything. He knew Gauis considered Merlin like a son and to be watching him like this...

"Gauis," Arthur swallowed, "Gauis, Is he...Is Merlin..." He couldn't bring himself to say it. It was too awful to even consider. He was about to try again when his question was answered by a slow stunted breath from Merlin. It was so quiet he almost missed it but his head snapped back to Merlin at the noise. Relief swept over Gauis's face as he also watched his young wards face as another long breath was drawn from it, just as quiet as the first.

Was this good or bad? Gauis didn't seem to know either.

"Gwaine better hurry up," Arthur mumbled to himself, unable to contain his frustration at his uselessness.

"I'm sure he is going as fast as he can, Sire," Gauis whispered in a voice weaker than his own. He felt Merlin's forehead delicately, checking for signs of a fever or temperature. There was no change. Merlin felt fine and at a glance he would appear to be resting if they had not been with him.

"Gauis is there anything we can do?" Arthur asked pointlessly. If there was anything the physician could have done he would have done it already.

"I am sorry, Sire," Gauis replied dully, "This is beyond my capabilities. We must only hope that Gwaine has somehow managed to find the sorcerer and will stop this spell before..." He could not finish but Arthur was glad that he didn't. His grip tightened on Merlin's shoulder. This would not happen. He could not doubt Gwaine now. His friendship with Merlin would ensure that he would be more determined than ever to put the stop to an evil sorcerer. It was just like him to take his time though.

Arthur turned his eyes back to his friend's face which had once been contorted in pain but was now slack.

"I can't lose him Gauis," Arthur whispered, the thought was horrifying, "I can't."

Gauis was speechless.

"It's all my fault," He mumbled. This snapped Gauis out of his quiet.

"No, Arthur," Gauis told him firmly, "This is not your fault. You cannot blame yourself for everything. Merlin is perfectly capable of looking after himself. He will get through this. He has to." His words did not seem to reassure the king too much but he gave a small nod, his eyes never leaving Merlin. "I'm afraid all we can do is wait."

No sooner had he spoken that Merlin drew out a long wheezy breath and that was it. Arthur's heart dropped. He looked for any signs from his friend but it was not good. The grass no longer shook from the breaths that Merlin struggled out and his chest no longer heaved with the effort.

"Gauis." Panic raised his voice. Gauis was already fully aware of the situation. He placed his head against Merlin's chest, brushing Arthur's hand away as he did so. The seconds seemed to drag by until he raised his head again. His face told Arthur all he needed to know. It was overcome with horror and despair.

"No!" Arthur shouted causing some of the knights to jump. They must have realised what had happened because a second later Leon had laid a comforting hand on Arthur's shoulder which he shrugged off.

"No, no, no, no, no," Arthur moaned, placing his forehead against Merlin's. This could not be happening. He should have protected him. He should never have let this happen. This was all his fault. He refused to believe this was happening. Merlin was his closest friend, even if he was not Merlin's. He could not lose him. Not after all they had been through, all they had survived together. Magic had taken his father from him, his mother, his sister, attempted to take his kingdom many times and now it had taken his best friend.

He turned to Gauis for help. The old man's eyes were shining with tears that had long since spilled down his face. Arthur sat back, the tears now sliding freely down his own face, not caring who was watching or what they would think. This wasn't fair. Merlin did not deserve this. He did not deserve this.

The air around them seemed to grow still around them and sound muted itself from this clearing as if in recognition of what had just taken place. The sun ducked behind a cloud in mourning, casting a dulled light over the group.

Suddenly Merlin gave a large gasp as though surfacing from under water which made Arthur jump in shock. He stared at each of the people in the clearing in turn, his eyes wide with fear. Arthur was about to call out to him in joy when he scrambled away from them. Then, he scampered to his feet and darted into the forest, disappearing into the trees.

Arthur was frozen. He couldn't believe it. Merlin was alive. He was alive! He looked at the others for confirmation that this was real. Their faces were filled with the same delighted surprise as his was. Then he snapped back to his senses. Merlin had ran. Why? He had been so afraid and ran. Ran from _his friends._ What did he have to be afraid of? It was over. Wasn't it?

Arthur staggered to his feet. There was only one way to find out. And with that he ran into the forest after Merlin.

* * *

Merlin ran as fast as his thin frame could carry him. Had to get away. Had to get away. He didn't know why. All he knew was that right now he was engulfed in uncontrollable fear and he had to get away. And so he ran.

The pain that had lodged itself in his temple for so long that it seemed like it belonged there had vanished. His whole body was left weak from all it had processed and survived. Before long he was tripping over himself in his hurry. Unable to hold himself up any longer, he collapsed to the ground hard; landing sprawled on the trees roots, not having enough energy to stop his fall. This had all been too much for him. He tried to gather his thoughts but they were all turning black.

A moment later that now well accustomed world of unconsciousness had greeted him once more.

* * *

Gwaine pushed his way noisily through the trees, rustling the leaves when he passed and landing heavily on brittle sticks on his good foot. He didn't care. His ankle was aching but that was nothing to his worry for the fate of his friend. Despite the injury and tiredness, he was making good time. He had taken a more direct route back to camp and was nearing it. That was when he tripped stupidly on a tree root that had bent itself above the forest floor, catching his foot, and he came tumbling down next to another person.

He pushed himself away until he recognized the brown jacket, blue neck scarf and raven black hair.

"Merlin," he hissed, shaking his shoulder firmly, "Merlin." The man did not stir.

He tried to pull him upright but he merely slumped back onto Gwaine's shoulder.

"Come on Merlin," Gwaine whispered under his breath, "I didn't just go through all that for nothing. Wake up you lazy prat." Still no response. He considered carrying Merlin back to camp but with his ankle they wouldn't get far so he resorted to just sit there with Merlin.

Minutes passed before there was commotion from ahead of them and the king, three knights followed by Gauis burst through the undergrowth, stopping dead at the sight of the two men. Gwaine didn't know how he must look but it couldn't have been great. His hands were all scraped and bloodied, dirt streaked his face, his ankle throbbed painfully and there was a patch of dried blood on the side of his head from where he had hit it off stone when the sorceress had thrown him back. They slowly approached and Gwaine couldn't contain himself anymore.

"What did you do?" He asked loudly, fixing his eyes on Arthur, "You were supposed to look after him. Why is he all the way out here?"

Gwaine knew it was mostly his own fault for not stopping the sorceress in time and keeping her vengeance on Merlin but he was still mad. All the adrenaline he had built from his worry and run to get back had to go somewhere. All his confusion at what he had learnt. Unfortunately, Arthur seemed as good as any for this. He expected some sort of fight but he didn't get one.

"I'm sorry," Arthur looked dejected, "I don't know what happened. And then he just ran. We didn't have time to stop him." Gwaine sighed.

"Sorry, I didn't mean that," Gwaine told him, all his anger draining out of him immediately, "It's not your fault."

"It is though," Arthur said quietly, "Anyway, what took you so long?"

Gwaine shifted uncomfortably. This would be hard to explain and he didn't even know where to start or how much to tell.

"It's a long story," Gwaine hesitated, "I'd prefer to get back to camp and rest first if that's okay Arthur."

"Yes, of course," control came back into the King's voice. Percival took Merlin from Gwaine and easily lifted him and carried him the way back to the camp. Elyon helped Gwaine, taking some of his weight with Gwaine's arm around his shoulder. Gauis and Arthur trailed behind the group as Sir Leon led the way.

"It's over now isn't it?" Arthur asked quietly so the others wouldn't hear and Gauis suddenly saw the young uncertain boy he used to be, frightened of the command and loss. He laid a hand on his shoulder looking into his eyes deeply.

"I'm sure it is Arthur," He replied gently, "I'm sure it is."

* * *

It was a few hours before Merlin woke and the sun had fallen once more beyond the horizon. Gauis was by his side and Merlin gave him a mad grin at the sight. He had his Gauis back. Against Gauis's best wishes, Merlin persuaded him to let him sit with the others by the campfire.

Arthur was overjoyed to see him awake and well but quickly disguised his feeling with his usual teasing which Merlin returned gladly. Elyon made a few jokes and Leon patted him on the back, expressing his relief that he was okay. Percival didn't say much but he rarely did, though he did give him a smile and asked if he was feeling better. The only one who wasn't acting normally was Gwaine. He had remained seated opposite the campfire, staring unseeingly at it without acknowledging Merlin's return. Merlin gave Arthur a questioning look but he just shrugged. Gauis sat Merlin down before the fire, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders against the cold night. He didn't feel as good as he was trying to seem and shivers wracked his body despite the blanket draped around him. The whole experience had left him drained.

They sat around the fire as it spread a bright glow around the companions.

Gauis had made the meal tonight, allowing Merlin a break which was well deserved after the day's events. It was only then that Gwaine finally moved from his position and accepted the food he was offered but on his way back over he paused briefly by Merlin's side, lowering himself so he was on level with him and spoke softly so only Merlin could hear, "I know."

Immediately Merlin's world fell apart and all that had righted itself came undone. He didn't need to ask. From his reaction and the way he had said it, Gwaine could only mean one thing. Somehow, _somehow_, he had found out about his magic. That explained the hostility. After all that had happened he had lost one of his friends, one of his dearest friends. Somehow he had never imagined Gwaine finding out or not being his friend. Through all the hard times his friend had been there and even put up with Arthur for Merlin and that was not an easy feat.

Merlin didn't have a chance to say anything for as soon as Gwaine had said his piece, he returned to his place opposite the fire. It was only then that Merlin noticed the slight limp that he walked with. What had happened to him? What had happened whilst Merlin had been out of control? He was vaguely aware that Gwaine had been the one to save him but with the way he was acting he started to wonder why. If Gwaine knew his secret why had he still helped him? And more importantly what was he going to do with this information? The thought filled him with dread.

This was not the way he wanted this to happen. It should have been on his own terms. Merlin didn't get a chance to confront him about it. The others would have noticed or found it suspicious if he had tried and Gwaine may have overreacted, especially if he was as afraid of sorcerers and magic that he knew the others were. Magic had done terrible things. It was a shame they had not seen its wonders. Merlin wanted to explain himself but there was no time right now. He would have to wait.

The ride back to Camelot was uneventful but Merlin could feel the wary eyes on his back, non more than Gwaine's. Gwaine had rode furthest from him, moving away if he approached. Merlin's worry and feeling of dread increased at this. They would reach Camelot before the day was out and then he would have to find a way to corner Gwaine.

* * *

The following day had come quickly. The sun cast rays of orange and red across the evening sky that had fallen softly over Camelot. Clouds lingered far in the horizon but did not dare approach as the day cast its final farewell, spreading light for the last few hours that remained. The clash of swords echoed distantly in front of the castle as the knights went about their training session with the king. It was strangely peaceful.

Gwaine sat himself lazily on the window sill, glancing down at the other knights that were far below in the grounds. He had been excused from his duties for a few days on behalf of his injured ankle. He was secretly grateful even though he had to spend the day bored out of his mind. He could do with the rest after his time in that cavern. He inspected his fingers absentmindedly. They were blistered from the flames of the enchanted fire which he had had to extinguish. He hadn't noticed at the time but Gauis had given him treatment for the burns, insisting that he was not to forget them. He leaned his head back against the flat stone wall and let his gaze drift back down to the courtyard. There was a sound of shuffling footsteps but he did not turn around until a voice spoke.

"Gwaine."

He let a smile cover his face before masking it with a serious look. He had been waiting for this ever since he had come back. Slowly he turned his back on the window and faced the young servant who had called his name. He refused to start this conversation so waited in silence.

"About what you said...what you said back at camp..." Merlin stuttered nervously. Taking pity, Gwaine decided to prompt him.

"About me knowing your secret?"

"Yes," Merlin said slowly, "What exactly did you mean by that?"

"How many secrets do you have to tell?" Gwaine asked.

"I...I just need to hear you say it."

Gwaine glanced both ways down the narrow hallway, making sure that no one was near them, though the halls were completely deserted, before lowering his voice and speaking softly, "Merlin, I know you have magic."

Merlin visibly stiffened at this as all his worst fears had been confirmed. Gwaine did know.

"I...I...I can explain everything. Please don't hate me. I couldn't tell anyone. I'm sorry. I would never...could never...I've never used it against anyone...at least those who did not deserve it. And I've helped Camelot so many times and Arthur. He can never know. Not yet. Please don't tell him. I'm just trying to figure things out and magic is illegal and I don't know if he's ready yet. I would have told you. I really would have but...but...Please don't hate me..."

Gwaine was taken aback. Merlin's words had tumbled over each other in his hurry to explain and he was so afraid. After all the fear they had felt over the past few days, he couldn't allow him to feel anymore. What concerned him most was how Gwaine felt, not his own safety. Merlin was one unique man. His compassion and heart was different from any other.

"Merlin," He raised his voice to calm his friend's ramblings, "Shut up will you. It's okay. It's okay. I'm not really mad. I understand."

Merlin stared blankly at him, eyes wide at his in confusion, shock and relief. It was all Gwaine could do to not laugh at the look on his face.

*"So you're a sorcerer?" He prompted.

"Warlock," Merlin corrected automatically then at Gwaine's confused look he explained. "A sorcerer is someone who practices and learns magic. A warlock is born with magic and has no choice of it."

"So not a sorcerer, a warlock?" Gwaine asked, frowning.

"Warlock," Merlin confirmed, "I am magic, magic is me."

"Well please forgive me for the mistake," Gwaine told him with a mock bow, then straightening up. He gave Merlin a grin before tuning away and heading down the hall away from a rather stunned Merlin.

"What? Is that it?" Merlin asked at his retreating back. Not even in his wildest dreams had he planned on his secret being that simple. All his fear and apprehension disappeared in an instant.

"What do you want?" Gwaine called, spinning round, "Flaming torches? An angry mob?" He turned his back again with a laugh and continued on his way. "Although..." he said thoughtfully pausing again, "I will want to hear the whole story at some point. But in the meantime I can think of a few things your magic may be of use with." And with that he turned the corner and disappeared.

Merlin continued staring blankly, long after he had gone. Then a short laugh of disbelief escaped his lips. So someone knew his secret. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. He shook his head at the empty hallway that Gwaine had disappeared down before turning away in the opposite direction. Now Gwaine knew his secret, he could only begin to wonder that life at Camelot was going to get a bit more interesting.


End file.
